Regular readers of H&N Magazine will know of our adventures, and just how much we enjoy a narrowboat trip along the canals and rivers of England. This one we have wanted to do for a long time, taking us from Bunbury, along the Shropshire Union Canal to Chester, one of our favourite northern cities. And recently, we had the opportunity to do exactly that.
We were excited to be able to combine the two experiences, and a narrowboat trip is always an adventure we do as a family. Time spent off-grid on a narrowboat with those closest to you is full of great conversation, laughter, and evenings spent playing board games and card games, whizzing us all straight back to our childhood.
Let’s dive in with all the details you need to know about if you are considering booking a narrowboat trip yourself after reading this!
Who to book with
We always arrange our trips through Drifters Canal Boat Holidays. The reason? Drifters is made up of ten professional canal boat holiday operators, handpicked because they uphold the highest standards.
With over 500 narrowboats for hire from 35 bases across England, Scotland and Wales, Drifters offers the choice of hundreds of narrowboat holiday routes and destinations.
Each of the operators they work with invests more in new canal boats each year than all the other UK operators put together, ensuring each customer high quality holidays afloat.
Need I say more. We highly recommend you check out Drifters first for your narrowboat holiday.
Our boat
We collected our home for the next four days from Anglo Welsh in Bunbury, and what a beauty she was! “Cassiopeia” – a luxury 67ft Constellation 6 Class narrowboat with accommodation for up to six people. She had a semi-traditional stern and extra features including a multi-fuel stove, two double beds, each with an en-suite bathroom, (with the option of a third bed which could be made in the lounge area), plenty of storage, and a fabulous kitchen, dining and lounge.
There were three of us on this trip, and with Cassiopeia being so large and roomy, we had plenty of space to live very comfortably.
This was our fourth trip through Drifters, and both my husband and brother are by now quite expert at steering such a large vessel. However, we started with a much smaller boat and worked our way up as we gained skill and confidence.
Top Tip: Rest assured that you are given full training before being allowed to take your narrowboat by yourself.
The Shropshire Union Canal
The Shropshire Union Canal itself is a historic canal, completed in 1835 as Thomas Telford’s final major civil engineering project, it runs through Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire, and it is beautiful.
From peaceful farmland to iconic canal landmarks, on a trip from Bunbury to Chester there’s a rich mix of nature, history and relaxed cruising. Especially when you have wall-to-wall sunshine, blue skies, and only the melodic gentle throb of your engine travelling at a maximum of four miles an hour, and the sounds of the many varieties of birdlife passing by.
Have I grabbed your interest yet?
Our journey
Day 1 – we collected Cassiopeia from Anglo Welsh in Bunbury, settled in and made our way to Tattenhall, where we moored up for the night. This was a distance of five miles, and we went through six locks, taking roughly four hours from start to finish. Having collected the boat early afternoon, this was the perfect distance for our first day.
We had made a hearty lamb stew to take with us for the first night, which we devoured with warm buttered crusty bread! I had forgotten how hungry so much fresh air and exercise makes you. When the locks are fairly close together, we always walk the distance between them, making it easier for ‘captain’ to move between and through them without the need to pick us up until the end. It’s a great way to get those steps in!
We managed a game of Scrabble before admitting defeat and falling into bed.
Top Tip: You will be ready for bed around 9pm!
Day 2 – after setting ourselves up for the day with delicious bacon and egg butties – cooked my moi(!), we set off for Chester. This was a gentle journey, there was no rush, we just enjoyed conversation, endless coffees, taking photos and videos to capture the memories, and planning our Chester itinerary.
Six hours and several locks later, we arrived In Chester. All of that fresh air had once again taken its toll. After another delicious homemade dinner, accompanied by a few beers for the boys and a couple of glasses of wine for me, we played a few hands of cards and agreed on another early night in preparation for a full day of exploring Chester.
Top Tip: Keep your phone within easy reach for the many photo and video opportunities along the canal. We saw Heron, Kingfishers and Egrets.
Day 3 – Chester here we come! We started the day with a fantastic breakfast at Fork and Flavour located on the canal – a great little find. Fabulous food and service. Keep it in mind for your own Chester trip.
Fuelled and ready to go, we were on the hunt for Roman history.
Chester was founded by the Romans in the AD 70s as the massive legionary fortress of Deva Victrix, which served as the base for the 20th Legion (Valeria Victrix) for nearly three centuries. Unbelievably, it wasn’t long before we came across a Roman soldier leading a group of tourists through the city who was very happy to pose for us!
We made our way to the Roman amphitheatre, which was the largest in Britain. Used for entertainment and military training, there were two stone-built amphitheatres on the site.
The first included access to the upper tiers of seats via stairs on the rear wall, as at Pompeii, and had a small shrine next to its north entrance. The second provided seat access via vaulted stairways. The two buildings differed from each other and from all other British amphitheatres, underlining the importance of Roman Chester. This is a must for any Chester itinerary.
We then made our way to the Roman Garden, an authentic garden constructed in a Roman Style. Created in 1949 (with a layout developed for the 1951 Festival of Britain), to display real architectural fragments salvaged from 19th-century excavations of the Roman legionary fortress of Deva Victrix. It features columns from a Roman bathhouse exercise hall, mosaic panels, carved stonework, and a reconstructed underfloor hypocaust heating system!
Finally we wanted to walk the Roman City Walls, the oldest, longest and most complete defensive city walls in Britain, standing for nearly 2,000 years!
Top Tip: Each of these amazing places are completely free to visit, and are a must for any visit to Chester. Take comfortable walking shoes!
After a full day of sightseeing, we made our way to The Ivy Chester Brasserie for an early dinner. After which, back to our narrowboat, we chatted about our memorable day over a nightcap. The perfect way to end a fabulous day
Day 4 – this was to be an early start, with a full day on the canal, and lots of locks and walking! Over the course of the day, we made our way back to Bunbury, mooring up now and then for well earned refreshments and to make the most of our last day on the water.
We spent our last night onboard reminiscing and planning our next narrowboat excursion.
Watch this space to find out where we go, and if I have peaked your interest, visit Drifters Canal Boat Holidays to plan your own waterways adventure.
Be sure to say hello if you see us.
For more information about Drifters boating holidays call 0344 984 0322 or visit www.drifters.co.uk
For more information about visiting the canals go to www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
Review and images by Angela Riches and Dave Riches
